Hey y'all! It's me again! I wrote a little thingy after watching Volpina, because I have too much feelings. So, this is how I imagine a kind of reveal au. I'm sure someone already wrote a similar idea, but oh well, here we gooo….

(Find me on Tumblr as miitzwrites ;))

ooooo

"Hey, Kitty, you seem troubled today."

The sweet voice of Ladybug brought him back to the present. Before she arrived to their usual spot, Chat Noir had been thinking about the incident with Volpina. The images of his Lady, distressed over Adrien Agreste, shook him, but what he couldn't forget was that she was ready to give up her miraculous.

For him. But not for the real him.

He should be flattered, maybe even thrilled that Ladybug cared too much about him and his safety, but instead, he felt sadness. Would she sacrifice her miraculous for Chat Noir, too?

"Can I ask you something, LB?" He asked, a little unsure about her reaction.

"Sure thing, Chat."

"Why do you care about the Agreste boy?"

Her eyes widened almost comically, and in another time, he would have teased her for it, but he remained in silence, waiting for her answer.

"Why wouldn't I? He was a civilian in danger, or well, that's what Volpina made us believe." She replied, and he could see a faint blush on her cheeks.

"You were about to give her your earrings, LB. You'd never done that before." The realization struck him then, and he let out a soft, somber laugh. "You like him, don't you?"

Ladybug blushed even harder, "Chat, we're not supposed to talk about our civilian personas." She tried to deflect the question, but the way he was looking at her, made her accept her feelings. He was her partner, he would understand her. "Okay, Chat. I do like Adrien."

"Why?" He inquired in a cutting voice, that surprised Ladybug. "Why wouldn't I like him? He's great, he's kind, and smart, and sweet, and fun to hang out with. He's also super cute, he, but you shouldn't know that. Oh, and he's.-"

"He's a lie, Ladybug." Chat stated, without giving her space to argue. "He's not what you think he is. You hate liars, don't you? What if he had pretended to be the perfect boy to live by everyone's standards?"

"You don't know what you're saying, Chat!" Ladybug answered angrily, and turned to leave when she saw a green light shining on the corner of her eyes. "Look at me," he whispered, and she shook her head, then, in a more demanding voice, he added, "Look at me and tell me that you still want to give up your miraculous after finding out that your precious Adrien is no other but me!"

Ladybug gasped, and turned to face him. Her expression reflected nothing but confusion and shock. "You understand now, Ladybug? Adrien is a formulated lie that pleases the others, my father, my teachers, even my friends. But Chat? He's the realest I have ever been in my whole life."

But Ladybug couldn't mutter a word. This wasn't how she wanted to find out Chat's identity. Hell, she wasn't sure if she ever wanted to find out.

"Don't look so disappointed, my Lady. I promise I won't change the perfect image of Adrien Agreste."

Plagg floated between them, his brow furrowed. "Okay, kid, you've said enough, let's go." Adrien nodded, and called his transformation again. He directed a sad smile to his Lady, before using his baton to jump off the building.

Oooo

Later that night, Marinette lied on her bed, with Tikki petting her head. "I'm sorry, Marinette, you two weren't supposed to meet yet."

"But Tikki, he was right, I failed him, as a partner and friend. I let him down."

"You couldn't know what he was feeling, Marinette."

"I know, Tikki, but he needs to know that I like him for who he is. For the person I saw that day under the rain, not for the model or the perfect boy, but for him."

"Are you ready to tell him who you are?"

Marinette didn't answer right away. He could understand to some extent how he felt, and the pressure he was under. But now that she knew who her trusted partner really was, she was worried he would be disappointed.

Tikki hovered over her, with a kind smile. "He needs a friend, Marinette, and so do you. Now that you know him, you can help each other out."

"And how can I do that, Tikki?"

"Well, you can start by being the person that Chat needd right now."

Before Marinette could ask what she meant, Tikki flew to the other side of the bedroom, hiding from view. Then, she heard soft knocks on the trap door that led to her balcony, and a voice that she came to know too well.

"Princess, are you up? May I come in?"

Ooooo